See familiar territory in a new way; if something goes wrong, nothing is lost. If you succeed, you’ll know your new equipment’s strengths, but if something isn’t right, you’ll learn how to work around the problem before setting out to photograph less familiar places.

Are these elements insidious intrusions or compositional aids?

The other day I was inspecting a nature photography magazine. Each and every photograph featured a stunning landscape free from the hand of man. Waterfalls and luscious skyscapes, arctic views and verdant forests.

Nowhere were there poles, wires, or tarmac roads. This magazine had portrayed a world free from industry, electricity, commerce, and railways!

Fear not good citizen! Tracking the Light will fill these photographic omissions!

Take for example these images of Pan Am Railways/Norfolk Southern’s intermodal train symbol 22K, photographed in November 2015 near its Ayer, Massachusetts terminal.

Like this:

I arrived at Bernardsville, New Jersey on bright December afternoon. I’d never explored this station on the ground before, although I’d traveled through it on various occasions by train.

In the early 1980s, my father and I made several trips to the old Lackawanna Gladstone Branch to photograph the ancient former Lackawanna electrics that still prowled the line.

On my recent visit, NJ Transit’s stainless steel multiple units (known as Jersey Arrows) were the order of the day.

Exposed in December 2016 using a FujiFilm XT-1 digital camera.The use of a zoom lens allowed me to make a variety of photographs in rapid succession of the same train as it paused for its station stop.I like the effect of the dark shadow in the foreground on this view.As the engineer released the brakes, I exposed this telephoto close-up.

These cars are hardly new and now are on the wane, and so well worthy of photography. On recent trip on the North Jersey Coast Line, I passed a scrap yard full of the remains of these old cars.

Gardner, Massachusetts, exposed on December 15, 2015 with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.

I exposed these views of Pan Am Southern symbol freight 28N at Gardner, Massachusetts on the old Boston & Maine Fitchburg mainline.

Dark Clouds on the Horizon.

Heavy wintery clouds were rolling in from the west, yet a few shafts of sun remained. The contrast between the bright sun and billowing churning clouds allowed for dramatic lighting; ‘storm light’.

Gardner, Massachusetts, exposed on December 15, 2015 with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.

I was traveling with Bob Arnold and Paul Goewey. Our bonus on this day was catching one of Norfolk Southern’s recently acquired former Union Pacific SD90MACs (a large General Motors model, built to accommodate a 6,000 hp diesel, but in this case powered by GM’s more reliable 16-710 engine with a more conservative rating).

Pan Am’s 28N is a autorack train that drops cars at Gardner and Ayer, Massachusetts. At Gardner Providence & Worcester interchanges, and often P&W’s WOGR (Worcester-Gardner) arrived about the same time as an eastward Pan Am freight.

Gardner, Massachusetts, exposed on December 15, 2015 with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.

By the time the P&W arrived at Gardner, the dramatic light had faded, yet the sky was still full of texture.

Like this:

My photo at Shirley offers the hope of safe journey in 2016, but also a reminder to photographers that 2016 will see the decommissioning of many old signals such as these old General Railway Signal searchlights.